Gerwin home provides quaint, comfort approach

Luke Smucker

Tuesday

Oct 9, 2018 at 9:40 AM

For the past 18 years, Carolyn Gerwin and her family has called the old house at 705 S. Locust St. home. Although the current owners have done some modern remodeling, Carolyn says it still carries a sense of warmth and happiness from the past. “I’ve always felt like this house has good karma, like a good vibe,” Gerwin said. “Then, when we found out that Don and the late Barb Ries lived in it for 29 years, it all made sense. A lot of people have great stories about this house.” The Victorian Queen Anne-style home, measuring roughly 3,000 square feet, was built approximately 130 years ago. Gerwin and her husband, Joseph, purchased the home in 2000, but Gerwin said it was a house that she had been interested in since they moved to Pontiac in 1998. “We were living in a house on Mill Street before this,” Gerwin said. “Our kids were growing up and we kept our eye open for houses within the school district. “One night, while my husband was on his way home, he saw a “for sale by owner sign.” When we walked through with the owner at the time it was rough, but we looked at again a few hours later and made an offer the next day.” One of the major updates the Gerwins made to the home is the kitchen. Gerwin said to get the right look, the entire kitchen needed to be gutted to the studs. “The original kitchen had a very dated, 1950s look,” she explained. “So, we gutted everything and had Terry Pinkerton’s help with the remodel. Today, it looks like a much bigger kitchen. “One thing my husband and I enjoy is the nook. We spend a lot of time eating family dinners there, it’s just a comfy little spot right off the kitchen.” With other remodel projects throughout the home, the Gerwins tried to be respectful to the history and age of the house, while still keeping things modern enough to be comfortable. One of Gerwin’s favorite additions to the house is a beveled glass window near the kitchen. “We have a similar window in the house that was original to the house and I was looking for something like that for this window frame,” she said. “I went online and I found this window that looks like it was done in almost the same style. “So, I messaged the seller and found out that he lived in the Chicago area. We found out it had come from a mansion gatehouse on Lakeshore Drive. The seller we bought it from received it from someone who was given the window when the property was demolished. It makes me happy to know it has found a home.” The dining room features large windows for natural lighting, but the window blinds, as well as the hedges outside, provide a comfortable amount of privacy. The floor of the dining room, which was also remodeled with help from Pinkerton, features a special rectangular pattern. Just outside the dining room windows is a historic maple tree. The exact age of the tree is unknown, but Gerwin said similar old trees were planted back when Pontiac was first established. “When we moved in and looked at the maple tree, we were a little nervous about it,” Gerwin said. “So we had Trost Tree Service come. They ‘cabled’ it in hopes that it would last longer. We can see it’s aging, but it has been 18 years and it’s still here.” Throughout the house, there is no shortage of books. The kitchen has a shelf of various cookbooks. The dining room has shelves full of book collections such as a set of Encyclopedia Britannica. Even the entertainment center features a number of books, including “Great Books of the Western World,” a massive set of classic books, published by Encyclopaedia Britannica, considered by the University of Chicago to be the most influential works of literature, philosophy and science, in the history of the West. “You will note, I have not read all of these books yet,” Gerwin said. “In fact, several are still in the shrink wrap. But I’m planning to get to them someday.” The Gerwins’ home can be visited Oct. 11 for the annual House Walk from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Caryl & Marilyn’s, Joy’s Hallmark, The Cup and the Scone, County Market, from members of the Pontiac Woman’s Club or by calling 815-844-3676. Other stops on the House Walk include Three Roses Bed and Breakfast, Brad and Sara Solberg’s residence, Dan and Carrie Hobart’s residence and the apartments of Phyllis Ryan and Louise Masching, both at the Evenglow Lodge. During the walk, the Eagle Performing Arts and Conference Center will feature refreshments and a white elephant sale.